Back in the spring of 2013, the Ducks’ twin bedrocks of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were working on the final years of their contracts and their future with the Ducks was rife with speculation.

You knew the next deals for both would be colossal, at the very least when you look at what top players were paid at that time. Perry was a Hart Trophy winner just two years prior and Getzlaf was getting back to the form that made him arguably one of the NHL’s top five centers, if not players. Both were the undisputed leaders that drove their bus. Both had Stanley Cups on their resumes.

The perception was that smaller-market Anaheim could afford to re-sign one. Not both. Getzlaf had planted roots in Orange County and made it known he wanted to be a one-team guy and stay with the Ducks for the rest of his career. Perry’s intentions were a little more unclear. The thinking was more that they’d have an easier time signing Getzlaf but could possibly lose...